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What to Check Before a Surface Goes Down

A quick-glance checklist of the most common oversights.

The 5-Point Pre-Cover Checklist

  • Sewer Main: Can you visually locate the exterior cleanout for the main sewer line? Is it outside the footprint of your new surface?
  • Septic System: (If applicable) Are the tank lids, pump chamber, and drainfield clearly marked and protected from heavy equipment?
  • Drainage: Does water flow freely away from the house? Will this new surface act as a dam or bury a catch basin?
  • Irrigation: Are all valve boxes and main shutoffs accounted for and raised to the new grade level?
  • Utilities: Has 811 marked the public lines, and have you identified any private lines (gas to a firepit, electric to a shed) that might be buried?